Today while guiding two women from Texas at Sax-Zim Bog we encountered something very odd but also sad. Along one of the back roads in Sax-Zim Bog we saw a Northern Hawk Owl perched at least 200 yards off the road. We got out and viewed it through my spotting scope. We decided to walk into the bog on the opposite side of the road to look for some Black-backed Woodpeckers. About half way down our path I saw something fly over my head quite low, it was the Northern Hawk Owl. The owl stared at me at eye level and allowed my group to watch it for a little bit but we were more focused on this terrible cold day to locate a Black-backed Woodpecker. As we left the owl at its perch we walked another 100 feet down the trail and the owl again flew ahead of us and landed above us and stared at us. We continue down the trail and yet again the owl flew ahead of us and perched near us and staring at us as though it was some sort of dog waiting for us to toss a treat. We ignored the owl and it kept following us all the way to the end of the foot path and AGAIN all the way back to my parked vehicle! Yes I got flight photos as it flew towards us many times and yes we got some unbelievable photos so close to us and at eye level BUT something about this event is not right! Northern Hawk Owls should not be acting like dogs waiting for someone to toss a bone! This owl has been fed/baited so many MANY DAMN times its following people now and practically begging for a pet store mouse!
This is not a fabricated lie nor is it elaborated and its the truth.. the owl literally and factually followed us around at eye level! Tony's decision yesterday is reason enough to stop posting owl locations anywhere in Minnesota. There are people who are NOT MOU members who are using this free MOU service to benefit themselves and only themselves! The truth is, is that it only takes one person to ruin it for everyone .. to bad to sad.. but its the truth. It took only one person to ruin it for birders to be denied access to the Superior landfill, it only took one person to ruin it for others when they trespass to view a bird.. it just takes one person to ruin it for all. So I totally support Tony and I hope everyone else will support Tony's decision not to share owl locations on the RBA but I also hope people will support me and not give out owl locations on the MOU listserv. I know this plea will most likely land on silent ears but hey I tried. Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://www.mikehendricksonbirding.com Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
